CAN HAPPY EATING MAKE YOU SLIM?

Advertisements

I BELIEVE IT CAN…

Now please bear in mind that I am not a dietician or expert in any way shape or form, but I am a woman who loves to eat and who loves to fit in her jeans. So, I have studied many diets over the years and digested, cogitated and ruminated over what makes some of us slim and some of us struggle and I think I have the answer.

HAPPINESS

Not happiness in general but happiness during the actual act of ingesting food and of course in the moments thereafter.

You see, from a a very early age we learn to associate food with so many emotions and unfortunately for a lot of us these emotions are not nice; guilt, shame and loneliness to name a few. It varies as to why each of us stops associating food with just fuelling our bodies and a bit of pleasure thrown in and start attaching it to emotions, but more often than not, that’s exactly what happens.

So, my theory (based on several books I have read by people who actually know what they are talking about) is that it’s the emotions attached to the act of eating certain foods which cause the calories consumed to be used in different ways – namely filling our fat cells.

Think about it – our brain tells our bodies exactly what to do every second of every day – breathing, moving, touching – they are orders coming from our brain to our nerve endings and muscles that we don’t even realise we are sending. It is indeed a clever machine our body!

So what’s to stop our subconscious sending out hundreds and thousands of signals to our body when we tell ourselves we ‘are fat and will always be fat’, ‘we shouldn’t have eaten that’, ‘it will go straight to our hips’, ‘you have no willpower, you ruined your day by eating that ice-cream’.

Are these messages we voice internally all day long being turned into actual physical acts? A lot of experts in the field of the subconscious believe that they are and indeed all our internal dialogue manifests somehow.

Then there’s the actual science for those of you who aren’t convinced this far. Did you know that stress releases a hormone called cortisol? This hormone amongst other jobs, LAYS DOWN FAT INTO OUR FAT CELLS. So, if you feel at all stressed that you are tucking into a gorgeous meal that may be higher in fat and calories that you need then you are creating a FAT TRAP! Then there is the regret for hours after, ‘why did you have to eat every last mouthful of it?’, ‘I really should never have ordered that dessert!’ Think about what that monologue could be achieving in terms of your body and you may just be convinced to change it!

SO WHAT SHOULD WE BE DOING?

Well, we should be trying our very best to detach the emotions we have with food. We all know that. Food is a fuel for our bodies and is a great pleasure in this life! Life is too short to regret anything, least of all a pizza! If we could get into a habit of saying positive things whilst we eat, and afterwards, I truly believe it will change our body’s behaviour and more food will be burned for energy instead of stored for fat.

AFFIRMATIONS – they are positive phrases we repeat internally over and over until our subconscious starts using them as a go-to radio station instead of Negative FM….

In this case something like the above, on repeat, along with ‘I love my body and nourish it daily, the food I eat is used to energise me and keep my body healthy and well.’

Say it over and over and over and over, make it your inner mantra.

After all, ask a doctor why some people are thin and some are fat and they will say metabolism – ask them why metabolisms are so vastly different and they will not be able to tell you other than ‘luck and genetics’.

So maybe this is the reason why?

The more positivity you inject into your thinking the more your diet will benefit anyway – you will naturally eat a little healthier, finish eating when you’re full and binge less because you’re no longer fuelled by guilt, fear and shame. It’s a win win situation.

Positive thinking works wonders so why not here?

Like I said above ladies, I am no expert and this is just my theory but if you like what you read here why not give it a go? I would love to hear about it!

20 Comments

I never been on a diet yet I just lost 60 lbs. it’s been over a few years and it’s all because I started listening to my body. I told my fat I didn’t need it to protect me anymore.

I started to remember how things made me feel after I ate them. Along with inconsistent yoga and exercise.

I just moved and I have just gained 10 lbs. And it’s been a long time since I’ve lost. Even before the 10 lbs gained. I’ve become to realize it’s my mindset. And I have to change it regarding food. I was actually looking for affirmations to plant into my subconscious mind.

Dealing with weight is already tough, it’s even tougher when you’re all about the negative remarks and thoughts that go through your head. I think assuring yourself and keeping a positive mindset can really help!

I think optimism is the key to succeeding at everything. I love this post! This post has reminded me to not be so hard on myself. I actually just ate fast food for dinner tonight and I have to say that reading this has made me feel a lot better about my decision for the night. thanks for sharing this unique perspective on eating

I spent years trying diets and feeling terrible about how I looked, feeling like a failure. Finally, I embraced my curves! I looked in the mirror and found beauty, stopped wearing stretchy pants and t-shirts and bought clothes that flattered my figure, and haven’t looked back!
Once I was confident in my own skin, I became more active, since I stopped being ashamed of how I looked. The weight came off. I fluctuate between a size 12 and 14 now, and I’m okay with that. I enjoy eating, but try not to eat my feelings.
This is a great article for any woman struggling with guilt about overeating or insecure about her weight.

This is like completely different than what most of us know to this day. I’m going to have to remember to remind myself that my thoughts matter. I sometimes forget to be positive about what I’m eating and ‘trying’ to eat to maintain a healthy yet great weight.

I’m a huge believer in weight and mental health being linked as one. This is why it is not as simple as telling people to “eat healthier”. I put on 20kilos after a traumatic event and after seeing somebody to address the issue (I had PTSD) I lost the weight within a few months. I didn’t increase my exercise, I just developed a better relationship with food after dealing with my trauma

I had never thought of food, diet and eating habits in the perspective. There is so many injunction to achieve the perfect body and then diet and eating less is the way to go. But then forcing yourself in something can only have negative consequences so I guess, yes, positivity will make things change naturally. Thanks for this post! xx corinne

Love this post?

get more straight to your inbox

Leave this field empty if you’re human:

We Want You!

We would love to hear from you! Email donna@ladiespassiton.com if you’d like to be featured. Do you want to share your passion? A travel experience? Your business? Maybe just an opinion? We want it all!